Article Topics

Soup Kitchens Feed More Greeks Every Day

July 28, 2012

Unlocking Word MeaningsRead
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. local (n.) [loh-kuhl] – a person from a particular locality or
area

Example: The locals from the neighboring city helped
in the government’s tree planting program.

2. facility (n.) [fuh-sil-i-tee] – a place that is built for a certain use

Example: The government
provides facilities to get free meals
for homeless people.

3. afford (v.) [uh-fawrd, uh-fohrd] – to be able to pay for something; to have the money for something

Example: Her family can afford to buy expensive cars.

4. hand out (phrasal
verb) [hand out] – to distribute

Example: Members of the charity
handed out gifts to the children.

5. solidarity (n.) [sol-i-dar-i-tee] – unity among people with same goal or interest

Example: People showed their solidarity by helping victims of the
disaster.

Article Read
the text below.

As economic recession
continues in Greece, soup kitchens are serving free food not only to the
homeless, but also to locals who
are not able to provide food for themselves.

One of the facilities in Athens is run by George
Apostolopolos and a team of volunteers. The soup kitchen is funded by the
government, but Apostolopolos says there is no certainty if the funds will
still be enough in the future.

More Athenians,
especially older people, are coming to the soup kitchen every day. Christos,
one of the kitchen soup users, says this is the most difficult situation he
has ever seen in Greece. His life changed when his parents died, after which he
experienced a car accident. He lost his job, and now he is depending on soup
kitchens for meals.

Maria, who also
frequently visits the soup kitchen, used to run a clothes shop, but lost her
job due to the weak economy. She also lost her home because she could no
longer afford the 450-euro rent.

The soup kitchens may
be very helpful for now, but the lines of people who need food are getting
longer. Fortunately, there are still those who are willing to help. With
support from the government, farmers from the city of Crete recently handed out 27 tons of eggplant,
peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables for free.

Nikos Saprovalakis,
who handed out food at Central Athens park, said Greeks may be facing hard
times, but they somehow survive by showing their solidarity with one another.

Viewpoint
Discussion Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A

·How has the economic recession affected your
country?

·What are some of the things that citizens in
your country do to help each other at times of national crisis?

Discussion B

·Why do you think people volunteer to help
others?

·Have you ever joined a volunteer program
before? If not, what volunteer program would you be interested in joining?